274:
runs for help, her cloak falls off with the brooch inside it. When the police arrive, the body, cloak, and brooch are gone. Melsa and her friends are notorious pranksters, so
Lieutenant Mike Brent, does nothing to investigate the murder. Peter Ames writes an editorial decrying Melsa's "prank", and she sues him for libel.
281:
While Mike repeatedly accuses innocent people based on incorrect theories, Melsa deduces that Ronnie removed the body and cloak from the Lane house before the police arrived. An escaping would-be killer leaves behind a piece of tar paper, which reminds Melsa of the subway construction site. Returning
277:
Melsa and her friends decide they must find the murderer in order to defend their reputation. The resulting manhunt includes searches of the Lane house, Belden's apartment, Lane's business office, and all of the local beauty shops; two attempts to intimidate Melsa; two shooting attempts on her life:
273:
At 3:00 am, Melsa Manton takes her little dogs for a walk. Near a subway construction site, she sees Ronnie Belden run out of a house and drive away. The house is for sale by Sheila Lane, the wife of George Lane, a wealthy banker. Inside, Melsa finds a diamond brooch and George's dead body. As she
29:
285:
During the film, the relationship between Melsa and Peter evolves from sharp animosity to love and engagement. He almost immediately decides that he is going to marry her and begins to woo her aggressively. After the police rescue them from Edward, Melsa and Peter plan their honeymoon.
282:
to the site, she finds a fast electric cart on the track. This is how Edward Norris made his way to and from the crime scene in ten minutes. Edward is captured after confessing to the murders and briefly holding Melsa and Peter hostage at gunpoint.
249:
as newspaper editor Peter Ames. Melsa and her debutante friends hunt for a murderer while eating bonbons, flirting with Ames, and otherwise behaving like irresponsible socialites. Ames is also after the murderer, as well as Melsa's hand in marriage.
278:
at a charity ball, and a trap set for the murderer using Melsa as bait. The women twice attack Ames and tie him up, although Melsa's friend Myra Frost enthusiastically flirts with him.
872:
877:
867:
907:
892:
857:
562:
862:
897:
882:
852:
600:
912:
887:
364:
792:
917:
584:
534:
261:
902:
784:
808:
555:
728:
648:
624:
511:
230:
672:
640:
548:
349:
Catherine O'Quinn as Dora, Melsa's anti-communist friend (always calling Myra a communist)
8:
847:
768:
704:
664:
358:
824:
712:
592:
298:
as Melsa Manton, a wealthy socialite who has organized a pranking club with her friends
141:
744:
720:
680:
500:
253:
This was the first of three screen pairings for
Stanwyck and Fonda, the others being
106:
52:
527:
736:
688:
632:
471:
295:
242:
83:
476:
430:
412:
370:
352:
62:
540:
800:
776:
760:
616:
325:
319:
313:
841:
656:
505:
418:
376:
343:
Linda Perry as Myra Frost (billed as Linda Terry), Melsa's flirtatious friend
116:
816:
406:
394:
388:
331:
255:
234:
608:
572:
400:
301:
246:
238:
88:
42:
516:
494:
752:
382:
307:
93:
28:
337:
522:
126:
355:
as Hilda (billed as Hattie McDaniels), Melsa's grumpy housekeeper
310:
as
Lieutenant Mike Brent, a bumbling police detective
570:
839:
459:Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television
433:gives the film a rating of 84% from 44 reviews.
457:Richard Jewel, 'RKO Film Grosses: 1931-1951',
346:Eleanor Hansen as Jane, one of Melsa's friends
556:
472:"The Mad Miss Manton | Rotten Tomatoes"
304:as Peter Ames, editor of The Morning Clarion
563:
549:
27:
245:as fun-loving socialite Melsa Manton and
328:as Pat James, Melsa's food-loving friend
316:as Helen Frayne, Melsa's sensible friend
367:as Bat Regan, owner of a gambling house
840:
334:as Kit Beverly, one of Melsa's friends
322:as Edward Norris, a convicted murderer
544:
453:
451:
449:
340:as Lee Wilson, one of Melsa's friends
436:The film made a profit of $ 88,000.
13:
446:
14:
929:
488:
421:as Assistant Editor (uncredited)
873:American screwball comedy films
878:American black-and-white films
868:American romantic comedy films
464:
361:as Sullivan, Brent's assistant
1:
908:American comedy mystery films
893:Films directed by Leigh Jason
439:
415:as Newspaper Man (uncredited)
858:1930s screwball comedy films
535:AFI Catalog of Feature Films
425:
7:
863:American crime comedy films
10:
934:
898:Films set in New York City
883:1930s comedy mystery films
853:1938 romantic comedy films
165:October 21, 1938
579:
214:
206:
198:
190:
180:
156:
148:
132:
122:
112:
102:
76:
68:
58:
48:
38:
33:Theatrical release poster
26:
21:
913:1930s crime comedy films
888:Films scored by Roy Webb
16:1938 film by Leigh Jason
461:, Vol 14 No 1, 1994 p56
289:
268:
729:Three Girls About Town
649:The Knife of the Party
601:Eyes of the Underworld
918:1930s American films
673:That Girl from Paris
769:Meet Me on Broadway
705:The Flying Irishman
697:The Mad Miss Manton
665:The Bride Walks Out
529:The Mad Miss Manton
518:The Mad Miss Manton
507:The Mad Miss Manton
496:The Mad Miss Manton
397:as D.A.'s Secretary
229:is a 1938 American
226:The Mad Miss Manton
22:The Mad Miss Manton
903:RKO Pictures films
825:The Festival Girls
593:Wolves of the City
571:Films directed by
512:TCM Movie Database
403:as Subway Watchman
385:as Gloria Hamilton
152:RKO Radio Pictures
142:RKO Radio Pictures
835:
834:
745:Dangerous Blondes
681:New Faces of 1937
585:The Price of Fear
222:
221:
107:Nicholas Musuraca
53:Philip G. Epstein
925:
737:Lady for a Night
633:A Preferred List
565:
558:
551:
542:
541:
482:
481:
468:
462:
455:
373:as Frances Glesk
296:Barbara Stanwyck
262:You Belong to Me
243:Barbara Stanwyck
231:screwball comedy
172:
170:
84:Barbara Stanwyck
31:
19:
18:
933:
932:
928:
927:
926:
924:
923:
922:
838:
837:
836:
831:
785:Out of the Blue
575:
569:
491:
486:
485:
477:Rotten Tomatoes
470:
469:
465:
456:
447:
442:
431:Rotten Tomatoes
428:
413:George Chandler
371:Penny Singleton
353:Hattie McDaniel
292:
271:
183:
176:
168:
166:
159:
144:
137:
135:
98:
63:Wilson Collison
34:
17:
12:
11:
5:
931:
921:
920:
915:
910:
905:
900:
895:
890:
885:
880:
875:
870:
865:
860:
855:
850:
833:
832:
830:
829:
821:
813:
805:
797:
793:Man from Texas
789:
781:
777:Lost Honeymoon
773:
765:
761:Carolina Blues
757:
749:
741:
733:
725:
717:
709:
701:
693:
685:
677:
669:
661:
653:
645:
637:
629:
621:
617:The Body Punch
613:
605:
597:
589:
580:
577:
576:
568:
567:
560:
553:
545:
539:
538:
537:
525:
514:
503:
490:
489:External links
487:
484:
483:
463:
444:
443:
441:
438:
427:
424:
423:
422:
416:
410:
404:
398:
392:
386:
380:
379:as Sheila Lane
374:
368:
365:Paul Guilfoyle
362:
356:
350:
347:
344:
341:
335:
329:
326:Whitney Bourne
323:
320:Stanley Ridges
317:
314:Frances Mercer
311:
305:
299:
291:
288:
270:
267:
220:
219:
216:
212:
211:
208:
204:
203:
200:
196:
195:
192:
188:
187:
184:
181:
178:
177:
175:
174:
162:
160:
157:
154:
153:
150:
149:Distributed by
146:
145:
140:
138:
133:
130:
129:
124:
120:
119:
114:
110:
109:
104:
103:Cinematography
100:
99:
97:
96:
91:
86:
80:
78:
74:
73:
70:
66:
65:
60:
56:
55:
50:
46:
45:
40:
36:
35:
32:
24:
23:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
930:
919:
916:
914:
911:
909:
906:
904:
901:
899:
896:
894:
891:
889:
886:
884:
881:
879:
876:
874:
871:
869:
866:
864:
861:
859:
856:
854:
851:
849:
846:
845:
843:
827:
826:
822:
819:
818:
814:
811:
810:
809:The Go-Getter
806:
803:
802:
798:
795:
794:
790:
787:
786:
782:
779:
778:
774:
771:
770:
766:
763:
762:
758:
755:
754:
750:
747:
746:
742:
739:
738:
734:
731:
730:
726:
723:
722:
718:
715:
714:
710:
707:
706:
702:
699:
698:
694:
691:
690:
686:
683:
682:
678:
675:
674:
670:
667:
666:
662:
659:
658:
657:Love on a Bet
654:
651:
650:
646:
643:
642:
641:Bubbling Over
638:
635:
634:
630:
627:
626:
622:
619:
618:
614:
611:
610:
606:
603:
602:
598:
595:
594:
590:
587:
586:
582:
581:
578:
574:
566:
561:
559:
554:
552:
547:
546:
543:
536:
533:
531:
530:
526:
524:
520:
519:
515:
513:
509:
508:
504:
502:
498:
497:
493:
492:
479:
478:
473:
467:
460:
454:
452:
450:
445:
437:
434:
432:
420:
419:Byron Foulger
417:
414:
411:
408:
405:
402:
399:
396:
393:
391:as Mr. Thomas
390:
387:
384:
381:
378:
377:Leona Maricle
375:
372:
369:
366:
363:
360:
357:
354:
351:
348:
345:
342:
339:
336:
333:
330:
327:
324:
321:
318:
315:
312:
309:
306:
303:
300:
297:
294:
293:
287:
283:
279:
275:
266:
264:
263:
258:
257:
251:
248:
244:
241:and starring
240:
236:
232:
228:
227:
217:
213:
209:
205:
201:
197:
194:United States
193:
189:
185:
179:
164:
163:
161:
155:
151:
147:
143:
139:
131:
128:
125:
121:
118:
117:George Hively
115:
111:
108:
105:
101:
95:
92:
90:
87:
85:
82:
81:
79:
75:
72:P. J. Wolfson
71:
67:
64:
61:
57:
54:
51:
49:Screenplay by
47:
44:
41:
37:
30:
25:
20:
823:
817:The Choppers
815:
807:
799:
791:
783:
775:
767:
759:
751:
743:
735:
727:
719:
711:
703:
696:
695:
687:
679:
671:
663:
655:
647:
639:
631:
623:
615:
607:
599:
591:
583:
528:
517:
506:
495:
475:
466:
458:
435:
429:
407:Olin Howland
395:Grady Sutton
389:Miles Mander
332:Vicki Lester
284:
280:
276:
272:
260:
256:The Lady Eve
254:
252:
237:directed by
235:mystery film
225:
224:
223:
182:Running time
158:Release date
609:The Tip Off
573:Leigh Jason
401:John Qualen
359:James Burke
302:Henry Fonda
247:Henry Fonda
239:Leigh Jason
89:Henry Fonda
69:Produced by
43:Leigh Jason
39:Directed by
848:1938 films
842:Categories
753:Nine Girls
721:Model Wife
440:References
383:Kay Sutton
308:Sam Levene
215:Box office
186:80 minutes
173: (USA)
169:1938-10-21
134:Production
94:Sam Levene
689:Wise Girl
625:High Gear
426:Reception
338:Ann Evers
218:$ 716,000
210:$ 383,000
113:Edited by
523:AllMovie
199:Language
127:Roy Webb
123:Music by
77:Starring
59:Story by
801:Okinawa
532:at the
510:at the
409:as Mr X
202:English
191:Country
167: (
136:company
828:(1961)
820:(1961)
812:(1956)
804:(1952)
796:(1948)
788:(1947)
780:(1947)
772:(1946)
764:(1944)
756:(1944)
748:(1943)
740:(1942)
732:(1941)
724:(1941)
716:(1939)
713:Career
708:(1939)
700:(1938)
692:(1937)
684:(1937)
676:(1936)
668:(1936)
660:(1936)
652:(1934)
644:(1934)
636:(1933)
628:(1933)
620:(1929)
612:(1929)
604:(1929)
596:(1929)
588:(1928)
207:Budget
501:IMDb
290:Cast
269:Plot
259:and
521:at
499:at
844::
474:.
448:^
265:.
564:e
557:t
550:v
480:.
233:-
171:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.